Pressing On...
I usually leave the citing of the White House News Gaggle to Holden at First Draft because he does such a terrific job of it. Today, however, I feel compelled to get in on the act.
The press is finally warming up to the Plame Gate story and Karl Rove's role in outing the CIA operative. On most days, the press swallows Press Secretary Scott McClellan's non-responsive answers to softball questions in toto. On July 11, for a change, they kept at him. Here's a sample of the contentious exchanges:
Q Scott, I mean, just -- I mean, this is ridiculous. The notion that you're going to stand before us after having commented with that level of detail and tell people watching this that somehow you decided not to talk. You've got a public record out there. Do you stand by your remarks from that podium, or not?
MR. McCLELLAN: And again, David, I'm well aware, like you, of what was previously said, and I will be glad to talk about it at the appropriate time. The appropriate time is when the investigation --
Q Why are you choosing when it's appropriate and when it's inappropriate?
MR. McCLELLAN: If you'll let me finish --
Q No, you're not finishing -- you're not saying anything. You stood at that podium and said that Karl Rove was not involved. And now we find out that he spoke out about Joseph Wilson's wife. So don't you owe the American public a fuller explanation? Was he involved, or was he not? Because, contrary to what you told the American people, he did, indeed, talk about his wife, didn't he?
MR. McCLELLAN: David, there will be a time to talk about this, but now is not the time to talk about it.
Some two years into the investigation of the leaks to Bob Novak which resulted in his column outing Valerie Plame, the press is finally starting to ask questions. What took it so long? And, just as importantly, why now? I mean, we are talking about a press who basically ignored the Downing Street Memos as "old news," burying the few stories published deep into the paper, page 29 or so.
One of my favorite commenters at Eschaton has a suggestion that I think hits the mark:
My point, exactly. All human beings not directly related to the press by blood, or professionally, are irrelevant (perhaps that's just human nature, too). So if they die for a "major lie" (how many "major lies," in fact?), it's bad, but "old news" by the time the Downing Street Memo "proves" it.
But Rove gets caught in a war of weasel words which sends Miller to jail and causes Cooper to split hairs in his own defense, and suddenly "major lies" are intolerable?
Well, whatever works, I guess.
I'll retire to Bedlam.....Rmj, Wandering Aengus
Whatever the reason, I hope the press keeps it up, and not just on this story, but also on all of the other issues facing the nation right now.
The press is finally warming up to the Plame Gate story and Karl Rove's role in outing the CIA operative. On most days, the press swallows Press Secretary Scott McClellan's non-responsive answers to softball questions in toto. On July 11, for a change, they kept at him. Here's a sample of the contentious exchanges:
Q Scott, I mean, just -- I mean, this is ridiculous. The notion that you're going to stand before us after having commented with that level of detail and tell people watching this that somehow you decided not to talk. You've got a public record out there. Do you stand by your remarks from that podium, or not?
MR. McCLELLAN: And again, David, I'm well aware, like you, of what was previously said, and I will be glad to talk about it at the appropriate time. The appropriate time is when the investigation --
Q Why are you choosing when it's appropriate and when it's inappropriate?
MR. McCLELLAN: If you'll let me finish --
Q No, you're not finishing -- you're not saying anything. You stood at that podium and said that Karl Rove was not involved. And now we find out that he spoke out about Joseph Wilson's wife. So don't you owe the American public a fuller explanation? Was he involved, or was he not? Because, contrary to what you told the American people, he did, indeed, talk about his wife, didn't he?
MR. McCLELLAN: David, there will be a time to talk about this, but now is not the time to talk about it.
Some two years into the investigation of the leaks to Bob Novak which resulted in his column outing Valerie Plame, the press is finally starting to ask questions. What took it so long? And, just as importantly, why now? I mean, we are talking about a press who basically ignored the Downing Street Memos as "old news," burying the few stories published deep into the paper, page 29 or so.
One of my favorite commenters at Eschaton has a suggestion that I think hits the mark:
My point, exactly. All human beings not directly related to the press by blood, or professionally, are irrelevant (perhaps that's just human nature, too). So if they die for a "major lie" (how many "major lies," in fact?), it's bad, but "old news" by the time the Downing Street Memo "proves" it.
But Rove gets caught in a war of weasel words which sends Miller to jail and causes Cooper to split hairs in his own defense, and suddenly "major lies" are intolerable?
Well, whatever works, I guess.
I'll retire to Bedlam.....Rmj, Wandering Aengus
Whatever the reason, I hope the press keeps it up, and not just on this story, but also on all of the other issues facing the nation right now.
posted by Diane at 6:22 AM
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